⋆•°.🤍*࿐LOVE IS BLIND!⋆౨ৎ˚⟡🫧🕯️˖ ࣪

SET OF NOVELIST ROUNDTABLE
new york, new york
march 1990, 8:30am

annie was already at the set, ready to give her interview. she had heard about this well known talk show countless times before, and as much as she was excited. she was a bit nervous as the talk show host was known for sneaking personal questions in.

she sat there on the set, her auburn tresses cascading around her oval-shaped face. soft, full mouth upturned into an almost shy smile at the host, who was addressing her.

"welcome, welcome, welcome," the host said in a smooth, charming, almost rehearsed tone. "we have a special treat for our viewers this morning. one of the literary world's stars, miss. annie munro."

the audience applause and cheered in response, which gave annie a wave of butterflies. she smiled, and waved a little.

"good morning, it's lovely to be here," annie said, a trace of her london accent still lacing her words.

"it's lovely to have you," the host said. "but first, let's get right into it. your next book has just come out and it's called 'the weight of her will.' why don't you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from this newest one?"

annie nodded, then answered the host's question confidently. "readers can expect 'the weight of her will' to be my most personal work yet. the book follows four estranged sisters who are reunited by their older sister's death and her last wishes. they must confront their buried secrets, old rivalries, and past betrayals as they try to heal and reconnect as a family again," she continued. "it's a story about healing, forgiveness, and the complexities of sibling relationships."

"it sounds incredibly personal," the host replied, raising her eyebrows. "can you tell us more about what inspired this story? was it drawn from any real-life experiences or people?"

annie chuckled softly before responding. "no, not really," she said, keeping her response lighthearted. "while i draw inspiration from the world around me, this particular story is mostly fictional. it's a combination of imagination and my love for delving into complex sibling relationships."

the host nodded and smiled, clearly interested in the topic. "speaking of complex relationships, many of your novels do focus on interpersonal connections, both positive and negative. they also all share common themes of personal discovery, grief, and unresolved pasts." she commented. "what draws you to explore these dynamics so thoroughly?"

annie took a moment to respond. she leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. she had been asked this particular question countless times before, but it didn't make it any less interesting to discuss.

"i guess i just find those dynamics fascinating," she began. "relationships are a huge part of our lives, and they can be incredibly complex. people are messy, and i guess i like to explore that messiness in my writing. grief, personal discovery, and unresolved pasts all play a significant role in how we interact with each other, so it makes sense that they're common themes in my work."

the host nodded, and then, with a twinkle in her eye, she asked, "speaking of relationships, you've recently been in a high-profile relationship with actor dugan vanderbilt. how is that going?"

at the mention of dugan, annie blushed. she couldn't hide the smile that tugged at her lips. she took a moment before she responded.

"it's going well," she said, her voice soft. "dugan is a wonderful person, and we're enjoying getting to know each other."

the host raised an eyebrow, "speaking of relationships," she said again with a knowing look. "many fans still remember your past relationship with jfk jr. how do you feel when people bring that up?"

annie chuckled softly. "it's always a bit surreal, to be honest," she said honestly. "john and i had a brief relationship years ago, and while it didn't work out for practical reasons, i have only the fondest memories of him." she said. "i think people are just curious about the past, but my focus is always on the present. and right now, i'm happy in my relationship with dugan."

the host nodded as the audience chuckled, obviously satisfied with her response. "that's understandable. but speaking of the present, you've been linked romantically with dugan vanderbilt, one of hollywood's biggest stars. how did the two of you meet?"

annie smiled, her eyes lighting up at the mention of dugan. "we actually met through mutual friends," she explained. "we were introduced at a party, and we hit it off immediately. we found that we had a lot in common, and he's just so down to earth... it really drew me to him."

the audience awww'd in response, clearly drawn to the tale. the host smiled too, continuing with, "and you two are going strong, correct? any plans for the future yet?"

"not any yet. we've only been seeing each other for a few months, i think if i asked him about a future i'd scare him off." annie said in a jokingly way.

the audience laughed in response, clearly amused by annie's bantering. the host nodded and chuckled, "fair enough. but he's been seen at almost every public event with you. is it safe to say he's smitten?"

"i think the real question is just how smitten am i? i adore him!" annie exclaimed.

the audience laughed again, clearly enjoying the playful banter between annie and the host. "i think we can all see how smitten you are," the host said, a twinkle in her eye. "well, on the topic of your work, there's been a major rumor going around that you might be doing a movie adaptation of one of your books. any truth to that?"

annie chuckled sheepishly. "i've heard the rumors too," she said coyly. "i'm always open to the idea of having my work adapted, but nothing is definite yet. i suppose we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds."

the host nodded in understanding, clearly enjoying the teasing. "well, we'll certainly be keeping an eye out for any updates on that front," she said, before shifting gears. "last question, on a lighter note: what's one guilty pleasure that you wouldn't want people to know about?"

annie pretended to be deep in thought, as if she was contemplating whether or not to reveal something embarrassing. then, she chuckled and said, "okay, don't judge me, but i have a weakness for trashy reality shows. they're my absolute guilty pleasure."

the audience laughed once more, many of them clearly relating to annie's confession. the host smiled. "i don't think you'll find any judgment here," she said. "i think we've all got our guilty pleasures."

annie nodded, "back when i was seeing this one guy, that's practically all we watched at his house." she said, her mind drifting back to moments spent with john.

the host chuckled, "well, sometimes you just need a good dose of reality tv to unwind." she said, and then glanced at the clock. "unfortunately, we're running out of time. it's been a pleasure having you, annie. congratulations again on your new book. any parting words?"

annie smiled, "thank you so much for having me," she said graciously. "i want to thank my readers for their continued support. you all make all of this possible. and if you haven't read 'the weight of her will' already, i highly recommend it!"

the audience applauded again, clearly pleased with the interview. the host thanked annie once more, and the segment wrapped up. annie took a moment to gather her things before heading backstage.

ANNIE'S APARTMENT
new york, new york
7:15pm

"you're aware that you're on the front of every paper, correct?" summer, annie's best friend from college asked as she walked in unannounced which was normal for her.

annie looked up from chinese takeout, "no? is it about my book?" the redhead asked.

"it's about you and vanderbilt, obviously." summer said, sitting down at annie's kitchen table. "i'm surprised you haven't seen it yet."

annie groaned, rolling her eyes. the media's fascination with her and dugan's relationship was beginning to get irritating, frankly. "oh god, what's it saying now?"

summer placed a newspaper directing in front of annie. "just stuff about how cute the two of you are, how he was seen with you at some big party the other night. oh! this one is saying that the two of you are already engaged," summer said, raising an eyebrow.

"engaged?" annie exclaimed as she flipped to the designated page. "let's read this..."

the article was written in a typical tabloid style, with flashy headlines and sensationalized language. it featured pictures of annie and dugan at various events, along with photos of john and cecily. the text read:

"after a two-year relationship, british author annie munro has moved on and found love with hollywood heartthrob, dugan vanderbilt. the couple has been seen together at numerous events, sparking gossip about their future together. meanwhile, her former boyfriend, john f. kennedy jr., has also moved on, and is currently dating actress, cecily whitney."

summer analalized the photos of cecily and john before letting out a sigh, "am i going crazy or do you and his new girlfriend look alike?" the blonde pointed out.

annie stared at the photo of cecily, feeling a pang in her chest. she shook her head. "so what? we both have curly red hair." annie pointed out. "the man has a type, can't blame him for that." she said, trying to play it aloof.

summer raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced by her nonchalance. "yeah, a type that looks exactly like you." she said bluntly. "and don't pretend it doesn't bother you, i know you too well."

annie let out a sigh, "it bothers me a little bit, i'll be honest. but i'm happy with dugan. we're good together."

"can i point out that dugan is a carbon copy of john? they look alike, have the same interests, hell they even talk alike!" summer said.

annie's eyes widened slightly at the comparison. she hadn't really thought about it before, but now that summer had pointed it out, she couldn't unsee the similarity. "that's a coincidence," she said weakly. "they just have similar features, that's all. and as for the interests and the way they talk... well, plenty of people are into the same things."

summer chuckled, clearly enjoying annie's attempts to downplay the resemblance. "yeah, sure it's a coincidence. and i'm an astronaut." she teased.

annie rolled her eyes playfully. "you're impossible, you know that?"

"seriously. you and i both know that you only started dating dugan because-" summer started to say before dugan walked in with his set of keys.

"did i hear my name?" the man said as he closed the front door behind him.

annie's cheeks flushed, quickly turning her attention to dugan. "you and your timing, jesus." she said.

dugan grinned, moving to her side and placing a kiss on her forehead. "you love it," he replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

summer let out a fake gagging noise, shaking her head. "save the pda for when i'm not here, please." she said, wrinkling her nose.

"sorry, summer, but i can't keep my hands off her." dugan quipped back, giving annie's shoulder a squeeze.

annie rolled her eyes again, but she couldn't help but crack a small smile. summer smirked, "if i didn't know any better, i'd think you two were engaged already." she teased.

"that's what everyone seems to think." dugan said with a shrug. "hey, how'd the interview go today?"

"it was good," annie said, leaning into dugan's touch a little. it was comforting, like it always was. "just the usual stuff. they asked a lot about our relationship."

dugan chuckled, "figured as much. i saw the newspaper."

annie groaned, "those damn tabloids are always making a fuss."

"well, you are dating a movie star." dugan pointed out with a grin. he sat down next to annie, resting his hand on her thigh. "you can't blame them for being interested." his gaze then turned to the newspaper which he picked up. "oh look, we're on the same page as your ex. how convenient!" he said sarcastically.

annie tensed faintly as he mentioned john, but she kept her composure. "they're still obsessed with him, apparently." she said dryly.

summer, noticing annie's slight unease, quickly stepped in. "yeah, he seems very into his new girlfriend." she said, looking at the picture. "he was all over her at that last party he was at."

"were you there?" annie couldn't help but ask.

"yeah, i was there." summer said with a nod. "and i can confirm, he was all over her. like, holding her close, laughing at her jokes, gazing into her eyes." she said, putting emphasis on the last part.

annie frowned slightly, hating herself for feeling a pang of jealousy. what did she care if john was all over his new girlfriend? she had dugan. she was fine.

summer could see the subtle change in annie's expression and knew that her comments about john had gotten to her. "honestly, they were almost sickeningly sweet. i had half a mind to go over and tell them to get a room."

"he looks good, though," dugan chimed in as he scrutinized the photo.

annie rolled her eyes, "yeah, yeah, we get it, he's a greek god. let's put away the newspaper and move on, shall we?" she said, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"sure, let's talk more about your book. any more interviews regarding it?" dugan inquired.

annie nodded in response to dugan's question, "yeah, i have one coming up, actually. vogue's writing a little piece on me and the book, they want to feature it in their column."

"again?" summer asked with a huge smile. "that's amazing!"

annie nodded, "my guess is that they're picking the most influential people of the nineties to write about."

"yeah, i'd say you're definitely one of those." dugan said, giving annie's shoulder a squeeze. "you've worked hard for it."

annie smiled at the compliment, feeling a wave of appreciation for dugan's support. "thank you." she said earnestly.

housekeeping notes !

did you guys see what i did with the chapter name. because her book is: the weight of her will and i made the chapter name weight of his absence because she's not with john...see let me cook guys

and that my friends was the first chapter. i would love to highlight how this chapter's layout was heavily inspired by my wife pughdts

thoughts?